Business Briefs

September 21, 2018

Locally owned and operated since 2006, the paint distributor now has three locations. The others are Charlotte Harbor at 4760 Tamiami Trail (941-875-9901) and Port Charlotte North at 2160 El Jobean Road (941-624-4111).

The Cape store is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For additional information, call 239-984-5444. The store's owner is Nikki Young.

Shear Art Hair Studio to hold fundraiser for Cape Animal Shelter

Shear Art Hair Studio will be hosting "Cuts for a Cause," a fundraiser for the Cape Coral Animal Shelter, Sunday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $20 "by appointment" for a shampoo and cut. The fee for walk-ins, if available, is $25.

Shear Art is located at 1103 Cape Coral Parkway, E., unit C, Cape Coral. For an appointment or additional information about the studio or the "Cuts for a Cause" event, call 239-257-3620.

The mission of the Cape Coral Animal Shelter, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is "To engage a special bond between people and animals by means of adoption services, medical care, education and training for the prevention of cruelty and abandonment. A safe place, where animals will remain in our care until they are placed in a qualified, forever home."

The shelter will be built on Santa Barbara Boulevard next to Sun Splash Family Waterpark. For more about the shelter, visit www.capecoralanimalshelter.com

Riddick joins Southwest Florida Yachts as sales representative

Southwest Florida Yachts has announced the appointment of Chris Riddick, an experienced businessman, power and sail captain, to its brokerage as a sales representative.

"Chris will have primary responsibility working with our brokerage clients in the area of Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties," said Southwest Florida Yachts Co-Owner Barb Hansen. "His duties will focus on the marketing of vessels for sale as our primary contact for brokerage needs to the public."

Riddick is a U.S. Coast Guard credentialed 50-ton Master Captain with towing and sailing endorsements. His at sea experience spans nearly two decades and includes inland rivers, coastal waters and the Atlantic Ocean. His background also includes three years of boat building, both power and sail.

He has also owned and operated an architecture business for 10 years and a shore-side real estate business for eight years.

In addition to a power and sail brokerage, Southwest Florida Yachts offers power and sail charters and power and sail boating courses through Florida Sailing and Cruising School of which Riddick is an "alumnus."

For more information, visit www.swfyachts.com. You may also email: info@swfyachts.com or "like" us (Southwest Florida Yachts or Florida Sailing and Cruising School) on Facebook or call 239/257-2788 or 800/262-7939. The address is 6095 Silver King Blvd., Cape Coral.

Wicked Dolphin again named best craft rum distillery

Florida's award-winning craft rum producer, Wicked Dolphin, has been named by USA Today as top craft rum distillery in the U.S.A.

The distillery has now won he honor three years in a row: 2016, 2017 and 2018.

"It's a great privilege for us to have been nominated and a great honor to win this title." said JoAnn Elardo, president of Wicked Dolphin Distillery, Cape Coral.

Wicked Dolphin has garnered much attention, winning awards nationally and internationally since its start in 2012.

Wicked Dolphin is distributed by Republic National Distributing Co. throughout Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia and Washington D.C.

Using only the finest ingredients and Florida sugarcane, Wicked Dolphin produces award-winning rums Silver, Spiced, Coconut, Crystal, Gold and soon to be valuable, Wicked Dolphin Barrel in Bond a 6-year-old special reserve. Wicked Dolphin is also the producer of RumShine, a premium Florida Shine.

Wicked Dolphin Distillery has free tours and tastings at its distillery 131 S.W. 3rd Place, Cape Coral, FL 33991. Visit www.WickedDolphin.com for more information and to book a tour.

Southwest Florida to host inaugural Home Watch conference

Home Watch experts from across the U.S. and Canada will gather in Southwest Florida for the inaugural International Home Watch Alliance conference in early November.

"This is the first conference of its kind for Home Watch business owners and allied professionals who serve seasonal homeowners," says Diane Pisani, co-founder of the nonprofit International Home Watch Alliance. "Home Watch is one of the fastest-growing professions in Southwest Florida and the alliance is the leader in advocacy, professional development and ethics."

The conference will include presentations by leading Home Watch authorities in areas such as sales, management software, legal issues, insurance, marketing, media and industry trends. For more details about the conference, visit www.ihwalliance.org, email info@ihwalliance.org or call 239-707-4296.

Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award program Nov. 1

Coordinated and sponsored by McGriff Insurance Services and BB&T Bank, the Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award event is coming soon and offering a new feature online registration. Now in its 24th year, the program recognizes small business owners who have overcome adversity to achieve success.

The 24th annual Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award ceremony will take place Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, located at 5001 Coconut Road in Bonita Springs. Registration for the event is free, as always, but is only being offered online this year. To register, visit Eventbrite.com and search for the event by name or go directly via http://bit.ly/BlueChip-Registration. Click on the "register" button and then "view on map" to choose your seats and complete your registration.

The keynote speaker is Bill Welch, the business services account executive with CareerSource Southwest Florida. His topic will be "How to hire and promote positions for your organization in a tight labor market."

The program is open to SRMA members and non-members. For additional information, call 239-560-0052 or visit srma.net.

Two team members at Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., P.A. recently earned higher level certifications in QuickBooks. Debbi Lindsey is now an Advanced Certified QuickBooks Pro-Advisor in QuickBooks Online and Alisha Angeloff is now recognized as a Quick-Books ProAdvisor.

QuickBooks ProAdvisors are accounting professionals who have passed a rigorous test to provide the best strategic insights that drive success specific to each business.a

Lindsey is a graduate of Ashford Uni-versity with a bachelor of arts in business administration. She joined MNMW in 2014, bringing more than 15 years of experience in bookkeeping, payroll, and business administration.

Angeloff is a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. She joined the tax team at MNMW in 2012, and earned her master of science degree in accounting and taxation from FGCU in 2014.

Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., P.A. is a public accounting and consulting firm with offices in both Fort Myers and Naples. The firm offers a wide range of services including business consulting, human resources consulting, technology consulting and support, marketing and public relations consulting, tax planning and preparation, litigation support, mediation, forensic accounting and elder services. For more information, call 239-433-5554 or visit www.markham-norton.com